Cigarette case



Aug, 4, 1936. D. H. ZELL I 2,050,079

" CIGARETTE CASE Filed July 20, 1955 z i l.

I NVEN T OR.

f Y W 44 0/4/40 ZfZA ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarette cases and has for its general object and purpose to provide a case of this kind of simple mechanical construction, attractive appearance, and which may be 5 easily opened and closed with the use of one hand.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a cigarette case having relatively sliding body sections and a movable end closure for the case body connected to one of said sections and 10 automatically moved to its closed position by the other case section.

Another object is to provide simple and effective means for releaseably latching the case section in closed position against casual relative 15 sliding movement.

A further object resides in the provision of means on one of the case sections for preventing the cigarettes from assuming an inaccessible position when the case is opened.

20 With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved cigarette case 3 and in the form, construction, and relative arrangement of its several parts as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated in the accom- 25 panying drawing, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing, wherein, I have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of my invention and in which similar reference characters desig- 30 nate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a cigarette case, embodying my present invention, showing the same closed.

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the case open.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, the closed condition of 40 the case being illustrated in broken lines.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the body of the case consists of two sections, 5 and 6 respectively. The section 5 constitutes a tray for the cigarettes, while the section 6 provides a cover 45 to extend over and close the open side of the tray section.

The two case sections are in the form of simple, sheet metal stampings and are slidably connected with each other for relative longitudinal move- 5 ment. As herein shown, this slidable connection includes the longitudinal side flanges l which extend substantially the entire length of the tray section 5. These flanges may be of various crosssectional forms and at their juncture with the 55 bottom wall of the tray section are off-set with respect to the plane of said bottom wall as indicated at 8.

The cover section 6 of the case is also formed with the longitudinal side flanges 9. As illustrated, these flanges and the flanges l, of the tray 5 section, have angularly related slidably contacting portions and the longitudinal edges of the flanges 9 are extended inwardly upon the off-set connections 8 between the flanges l and the bottom of the tray section as shown at I0. 10

The bottom wall of the tray section 5 at one of its ends is formed with spaced flanges ll projecting toward the top of the cover section 6, and constituting stops or supports with which the cigarettes in said tray section contact at one of their ends.

The cover section 6 at one end is open, the other end thereof being closed by an ornamental cap [2, welded or otherwise permanently secured at its edges to the top wall and side flanges of said cover section.

A longitudinally extending partition i3 is centrally secured within the cover section 6 and is moveable therewith between the spaced end flanges I I of the tray section for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

The open end of the case is adapted to be closed by a closure member I 4, preferably, though not necessarily of the same ornamental shape or form as the cap l2 on the cover section 6. To opposite ends of this closure member the arms l5 are suitably secured at one of their ends. These arms extend upon the outer sides of the inwardly off-set end portions it of the side flanges l of the tray section of the case and are COIll'lECtEd thereto by suitable pivots ll. Thus it will be understood that this closure member I l has a pivotal swinging movement on the end of the tray section 5. Such movement of the closure member to its open position is limited by contact of one longi- 40 tudinal edge of said member with the inwardly off-set end edge l8 of the bottom wall of the tray section, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. This ofi-set edge also provides an external shoulder against which the opposite longitudinal edge of the member Id rests when the latter is in closed position so that the external surfaces of said tray section and of the edge of the member M will be disposed in a common plane.

One or both of the side flanges I of the tray 5 section 5 is provided with a longitudinally extending recess l9. Adjacent one end of this recess the longitudinal edge thereof is formed with a latch projection indicated at 20. With this projection a pin or stud 2| on the corresponding side flange 9 of the cover section 6 is adapted to engage as the cover and tray sections are relatively moved to close the case. It will be noted that the projection 20 has a rounded or convex edge, over which the pin 2i rides, a relative yielding movement between said pin and the side fiange of the tray section 5 occurring until the pin 2i is positioned beyond the projection 20. The parts then resume their normal positions, thereby releasaloly latching the cover section of the case in its closed position over the tray section 5 and preventing any unintentional or casual relative sliding movement of the case sections.

In the operation and use of my new cigarette case as above described, the case is opened by placing the fingers of the hand on the bottom of the tray section 5 and the thumb upon the top of the cover section 6 and then imparting a forward movement to the tray section and a rearward movement to the tray cover. As soon as the forward end of the cover section moves rearwardly of the arms i 5, the closure member I i drops by gravity to the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The projection of the tray section beyond the open end of the cover section is limited by contact of pin or stud 2! with the stop shoulder 22 at the rear end of the recess l9, so that the two sections of the case will not be completely separated from each other. In this manner, the cigarettes in the tray section 5 are rendered easily and quickly accessible so that an individual cigarette can be selected and removed from said tray section. The center web or partition 53 carried by the cover section '6 divides the cigarettes in the case into two groups, so that when only a few cigarettes remain in the case, this center partition prevents the same from falling over towards a horizontal position with their ends disposed below the open end of the cover section 8.

In closing the case, the relative sliding movement of the tray and cover sections is reversed, and as the end of the cover section engages the arms [5, the enclosure M is moved thereby to its closed position as seen in broken lines in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Also in this operation as above explained, the pin 2! cooperates with the latch projection 26 when the cover section and the member 54 are in their fully closed position. An intentional relative movement of the tray and cover sections towards open position can be effected only by a positively applied manual pressure force, so that the possibility of the case opening in the pocket or on other occasions when not intended, is effectually obviated.

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my invention will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a cigarette case in which the use of spring hinges between pivotally connected case sections and manually operable latch means therefor are eliminated. In lieu thereof the present invention provides case sections which are of simple mechanical form and can be fabricated from sheet metal at very low cost. The closure member I4 for the end of the case is also of simple construction and as shown may be symmetrically formed to correspond with the end of the case section 6. Thus my invention lends itself to the production of such cigarette cases in a great variety of ornamental and attractive forms. When the case is closed as seen in Fig. l of the drawing, there are no exposed hinges, latch projections or other parts which detract from the ornamental symmetry of the case design. It will also be seen that my new cigarette case may be easily and quickly opened simply by the manipulation of the fingers and thumb of one hand, and without liability of the cigarettes being violently dislodged and projected from the case during such operation. Of course, it will be apparent that the particular shape or design of the case as shown in the drawing is merely suggestive and it is possible to produce cases in accordance with my present invention of any desired capacity, and of various other ornamental and attractive shapes or designs.

In the present disclosure, I have referred to a mechanical embodiment of the novel features of my invention which has been found entirely practical for the purpose in view. Nevertheless, it will be apparent that the essentials of the device might also be produced in various other alternative structural forms and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes in the form, construction, and relative arrangement of the several elements as may fairly be considered as within the spirit and the scope of the appended claims,

I claim:

1. A cigarette case, comprising relatively slidable tray and cover sections each having a single side wall constituting opposite outer sides of the case respectively, an end closure for the case, an arm secured to each end of said closure and pivotally connected to one end of the tray section, said closure having a part engageable with the end of the tray section to limit gravity swinging movement of the closure to open position and said cover section in its relative sliding movement to closed position engaging said arms to automatically move the end closure to its closed position with respect to said tray and cover sections.

2. A cigarette case, comprising relatively slidable tray and cover sections, each having a single side wall constituting opposite outer sides of the case respectively, an end closure for the case pivotally connected to one end of the tray section and moving by gravity to an open position relative thereto, and said closure having parts with which said cover section co-acts in the movement of the latter towards its closed position to move said end closure from open to closed position and retain the same in the latter position.

3. A cigarette case comprising tray and cover sections, each having a body wall constituting one outer side of the case, and longitudinally extending flanges at opposite edges of said walls, corresponding flanges of said tray and cover sections slidably coacting with each other, and holding said sections in assembled relation, said cover section being open at one end and closed at its other end, and end closure for the case pivotally connected to one end of the tray section and having means engaged by the ends of said flanges on the cover section in the relative sliding movement of the said tray and cover sections to closed position to move said end closure from its open to closed position with respect to the ends of the tray and cover sections.

4. A cigarette case comprising tray and cover sections, each having a body wall constituting one outer side of the case, and longitudinally extending flanges at opposite edges of said walls, corresponding flanges of said tray and cover sections slidably coacting with each other and holding the said sections in assembled relation, said cover section being open at one end and closed at its other end, an end closure for the case, an arm secured to each end of said closure and pivotally connected to the respective flanges of the tray section, an edge of said closure adapted to coact with one end of the tray section to limit the gravity swinging movement of the closure to open position, and the ends of the flanges on the cover section in its relative sliding movement to closed position engaging said arms to move the end closure to its closed position with respect to said tray and cover sections.

5. A cigarette case comprising tray and cover sections, each having a body Wall constituting one outer side of the case, and longitudinally extending flanges at opposite edges of said walls, corresponding flanges of said tray and cover sections slidably coacting with each other and holding said sections in assembled relation, said cover section being open at one end and closed at its other end, an end closure for the case pivotally connected to one end of the tray section, and having means engaged by the ends of said flanges on the cover section in the relative sliding movement of the tray and cover sections to closed position, to move said end closure from its open to closed position with respect to the ends of the tray and cover sections, a pin carried by one of the flanges of the cover section and projecting over the edge of the corresponding flange on the tray section, and said latter flange being provided with a part yieldably coacting with said pin to latch said cover section in closed position, and with the end thereof in substantial contact with said end closure to retain the latter in its closed position.

DAVID H. ZELL. 

